1. Field of the Invention/Technical Field
The present invention is in the technical field of cutlery.
2. Description of Related Art/Background Art
There exist varieties of cutters, knives and other implements that can be used to slice cakes and other baked goods. A search of prior and related art resulted in the following patents:
U.S. Pat. No. 2,403,190 is a cake cutter that is comprised of three major components: a frame, a cutting implement and a pressure device. The frame is generally circular, with a heavy cross-section, and outfitted with a number of sets of short, upwardly pressed fingers or tongues along the inside. The radial cutting implement, in this case one continual piece of fine wire, is welded to the frame at each end, strung around the fingers or tongues, and welded or soldered at the center point, to create equally spaced radial portions that form cutting elements.
Pressure can be applied to the cutting implements either by use of handles that are attached to the frame or by use of a “special device”. The special device is comprised of a central connector piece from which four identical arms radiate outward and downward at a 90 degree angle. The end of each arm forms a horseshoe shape which affixes to and enables pressure to be placed on the frame, and subsequently the cutting implement. Also protruding directly downward from the center of the connector piece is a pin that pierces the cake and works to stabilize the special device. Since U.S. Pat. No. 2,403,190 was created before the advent of more modern construction materials, it is somewhat bulky in design, as well as cumbersome to use and clean. It also does not provide for the storage and display of cakes.
US Patent Application 2009/0282990 A1 is a food cutting apparatus comprised of three main parts: a base, a cutter assembly and a cover. The base is a surface with two sections extending upwards to form sidewalls, and two openings at the base surface in between the sidewalls. The center of the base is formed into a concave seat where food items are placed to be cut. A spike or barb protrudes from the epicenter of the seat to hold said food item in place. The seat itself is split by slots into which the blades from the cutter assembly fit. The slots also double as a drain for fluids of the recently cut food item. (eg. apple, tomato, etc.). The cutting assembly is comprised of a ring with two vertically protruding handles, and blades. The blades, molded on one end to the ring, and intersecting and molded together on the other end, are situated such that the cutting edges face the base. The handles fit into the openings of the base surface in between the base sidewalls
US Patent Application 2009/0282990 A1 is best utilized as a cutter for fruits and vegetables, not for baked goods. The concave seat, blade slots, barbed spike and drainage system are not conducive to the effective slicing and display of cakes and other baked goods. U.S. Pat. No. 5,129,159 is a cake divider comprised of a cylindrical center base with radiating blades and a removable knob top. The cylindrical center base is situated vertically and has twenty-four blades radially attached at the bottom end. The blades are equally spaced with the cutting end facing downward. The top end of the center base rises three inches vertically above the blade tops and is threaded at its apical end to connect with the knob. The knob is circular with a solid top and threaded on the bottom to connect with the center base. Pressure is placed upon the knob in order to force the blades downward to cut the cake or pie into twenty-four equal pieces. Once U.S. Pat. No. 5,129,159 has cut sliced the cake, it can be left in place to double as a display. The knob may be unscrewed and replaced with a flat plate onto which objects (candles, figurines, etc.) can be placed for aesthetic purposes.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,446,965 is similar to U.S. Pat. No. 5,129,159 in that it is a cake divider comprised of a cylindrical center base with a plurality of radiating divider arms and a removable cap. The major difference is that U.S. Pat. No. 5,446,965 allows for the removal and attachment of the blades. The hollow cylindrical center base of U.S. Pat. No. 5,446,965 contains a plurality of slots equally spaced around its circumference, on both the apical (twelve slots) and basal (eight slots) ends. The divider arms are formed such that each contains a cutting blade on the lower edge and a tab that is molded to fit into the center base slots. Either end of the center base can be fitted with divider arms. The cap is placed on the end that is not engaged with the divider arms. Pressure is placed upon the cap in order to force the mechanism downward to cut the pastry. Since there is no centering device or way to stabilize the pastry, it is conceivable that shifting may result in uneven slicing. Also, since the center base is hollow to allow for the attachment of the divider arms, a hole the size of the base's diameter will be cut in the center of the pastry, resulting in disfigurement and waste.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,983,503 is a cutting utensil comprised of a cruciform blade device that is mechanically attached to a central shaft and housing unit, and a handle. Additional uniform blade arms are permanently attached to and radiate from the cruciform blade center in order to cut eight pieces of flat food products. The cruciform blade is perpendicularly attached to the central shaft. The handle is attached to the apical end of the central shaft. A spring encircles the central shaft from the top of the cruciform blade to the bottom of the handle. The spring enables the cruciform blade to retract into the housing unit. When downward pressure is applied to the handle, the cruciform blade device is forced out of the housing and through the food, thereby slicing the item. When the pressure is lifted, the cruciform blade retracts back into the housing unit. Since U.S. Pat. No. 5,983,503 has no stabilizing or centering device, the cutting device may shift, causing uneven slices. Also, when pressure is applied to the cutting device and the crucible blade is cutting, the housing unit rests on the surface of the food item causing unsightly marks. Lastly, due to its mechanism of action, U.S. Pat. No. 5,983,503 is limited to use for flat baked goods since it would cause significant smashing of thicker food items such as layer cakes or pies with toppings.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,745,660 B2 is an apparatus for cutting baked goods that is comprised of a baking pan and a straight edge ruler. The baking pan consists of a bottom section that is wholly attached to a peripheral side section. The edge of the side section is outfitted with a number of pegs that run along the circumference. The straight edge ruler is of sufficient length and has a linear cut out running the interval of its center so that it may be coupled with the side section pegs to act as a guide for cutting baked goods. An embodiment of U.S. Pat. No. 6,745,660 B2 describes a pan insert of similar construction and mechanism of action which can be used in conjunction with a regular baking pan. U.S. Pat. No. 6,745,660 B2 does not function as a food slicer but rather as a guide that needs to be used in conjunction with a knife or other similar implement to cut slices. It also does not provide for the aesthetic display of cakes.